Cargo brace structure



March 30, 1954 STQUGH CARGO BRACE STRUCTURE INVENTOR.

TOUGH GERALD 0. s

AT OFI N Patented Mar. 30, 1954 2,673,529

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE 2,673,529 CARGO BRACE STRUCTURE Gerald D. Stough, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Whitehead & Kales Company, River Rouge, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 28, 1952, Serial No. 301,358 Claims. (0]. 105369) 1 2 The present invention relates to cargo brace No. 2,567,658, may comprise a transverse horistructure comprising an elongated cross bar hav- Z fi W b 12 having an upsta flange l at ing at opposite ends thereof movable su portin one side thereof and a depending lange Hi all heads adapted to fit into and interlock in openthe other side thereof If desired, the cross bar ings provided in a pair of confronting spaced apart side walls. Cargo braces of this type are tively seated in the spaces between the central widely used in railroad cars, trucks, airplanes and Web 12 and the flange M and between the central the like, for bracing cargo against movement dur- Web i2 a d t e fla e I'B- Cross ba s o s yp ing transit. are well known and have the advantage of pre- The present invention is an improvement over lo senting wood exterior surfaces throughout their the structure disclosed in my prior Patent No. length for engagement with car o.

2,567,658 granted September 11, 1951. The pres- At one end of the cross bar, and preferably at ent application is a continuation-in-part of my both ends thereof, there is mounted a supportprior copending application Serial No. 233,099 ing head 28 which as illustrated herein comprises filed July 23, 1951, and entitled Cargo Brace is an elongated shank 22 terminating at its outer Structure, now Patent No. 2,652,004, September end in a laterally extending portion 24 provided 15, 1953. at opposite ends thereof with a pair of upwardly It is an object of the present invention to procurved hooks .26. Each of the hooks 26 is provide a cargo brace comprising an elongated bar, vided with a central thickened rib 28 and the a supporting head carried at one end or the bar hooks are shaped to be received i Openings with provision for rocking movement about an formed in the walls W. It will be observed that axis transverse to the length of the bar, and prefin operative position, as best seen in Figure 2, erably for movement longitudinally of the bar, the ends of the hook portions extend above in conjunction with latch means operable to ree upp r S es of e Ope s 0 d t tain the movable head in supporting position 25 accordingly, the hooks 25 cannot be withdrawn against rocking movement, resilient means norf m th op nin s xcep in jun ion with a mally urging the latch means to operative posiswinging movement of the heads 20 in clockwise tion, and an actuator adapted to retract the latch l'elatiomhip relative o the 5 s i means to permit swinging movement of the head. e S s 22 Of e heads a e p ov ed More specifically, it is an object of the present do With reduced portions 32 t a i jacent invention to provide in apparatus of the character the rear of the heads 20 in shoulders 34 and terdescribed, a pair of movable latch members minating forwardly of the heads in inclined mounted for rocking movement toward and away shoulders 35. The inner or rear ends of the from the movable head, resilient means effective heads as are provided with transversely extendto urge both of said latch members toward the .15 ing recesses 38 leaving abutment shoulders 40 for head, and an actuator pivoted to one of said latch a purpose which will presently be described. members and engageable with a projection on The transverse web I2 of the cross bar is prothe other latch member to efiect swinging movevided with an elongated slot 42 in which the ment of both of said latch members away from head to is movably received.

said head. 40 The movable head 23 is supported in a, housing Other objects and features of the invention will comprising a pair of side walls 44 and 46 interbecome apparent as the description proceeds, connected by a rear wall dB. The side walls ocespecially when taken in conjunction with the cupy lateral extensions in the slot 42 and extend a c mp nyin d win wh rein: both above and below the horizontal Web l2 of i u e 1 S a p a View f a ad Suppo t ng the cross bar. However, the rear wall 48 is cut assembly carried at one end of a cross bar showaway and terminates in a shoulder 50, as best ing a p rt on of t e Supporting Wa in S seen in Figure 2, on which the reduced portion 32 Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section of of the head is supported. A plate 52 is connected the head supporting structure. to the upper edges of the side walls M and 46 and Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 2. 5o overlies the intermediate portion of the shank 22 Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a of the head at. The housing structure is commodified arrangement of latch release lever conpleted by an end plate as which may be welded struction. or otherwise secured to the forward edges of the In the figures the cross bar is illustrated genside walls M and 56 and the forward edge of the erally at Ill and as disclosed in my prior Patent plate 52, as well as the adjacent end surfaces of the cross bar. The end plate 54 is provided with a vertical slot 56 in which the forward end of the shank portion 22 of the head is movable.

With the parts in the position illustrated in Figure 2, it will be observed that weight applied to the cross bar I is supported by the hook portions 26 of the head, thereby tending to rock the head in a counterclockwise direction about the axis established by shoulder 50. Such counterclockwise rotation however is prevented by engagement between the shank 22 and the plate 52 which engages the upper surface of the shank of the head outwardly of the shoulder 50. It will further be observed that the shoulder 50 of the rear wall 48 constitutes a fixed pivot support about which the head 26 may rock. Thus, in order to withdraw the head 20 from the openings 3G in the wall W the end of the cross bar structure is raised and the head 20 will thereupon rotate relative to the end of the cross bar in a clockwise direction, thus permitting withdrawal of the hooks 26 from the openings 30. When the head 28 is withdrawn from the opening 30 it is retained in assembly with the cross bar by engagement between the shoulder 34 and the rear wall is and also simultaneous engagement between the shoulder and the inner end of the top plate 52.

It will also be observed that in the assembled relationship illustrated in Figure 2, the head is longitudinally movable with respect to the cross bar and will therefore accommodate relative approach and separation between a pair of opposed walls W.

In order to prevent inadvertent separation between the cross bars and the walls W, latch means are provided associated with the head which prevent movement of the head relative to the cross bar in the direction which is required to effect removal of the head from the openings in the wall. This means comprises a pair of latch members 6?! and 62. The latch members are pivoted to a pivot pin 64 carried by the front plate and have associated with the pivot pin 64 a spring 86 biasing the latch members to the latching position. The web l2 of the cross bar is provided with slots 68 through which the latch members extend providing for limited movement thereof, this movement however being sufficient to permit withdrawal of the hook portions 10 of the latch members from beneath the shanks 22 of the head 20.

In order to facilitate unlatching of the head to permit its withdrawal from the openings 30 in the wall W, special means are provided. This means is best illustrated in Figure 3 and comprises a lever 12 carried by a pivot pin 14 on one of the latch members, herein illustrated as the latch member 52. The other latch member is provided with a projection 15 which is coplanar with the lever 12. The lever 12 has formed therein a recess 16 which receives the projection 15. When the operator wishes to release a cross bar from its interlocked position from a wall W, he first supports the weight of the cross bar so as to release parts of the head and latch mechanism for movement. upon, he applies pressure to the lever 12. Pressure applied. to the lever 12 tends to rock the latch member 58 in a clockwise direction and the reaction produces forces tending to rock the latch 82 in a counterclockwise direction. As a result, single application of pressure to the lever 12 will swing both latch members 60 and 62 outwardly so as to withdraw the hook portions i0 thereof from beneath the shank 22 of the head 20. Thereupon the cross bar may be raised and the head 20 may rock relative thereto in a clockwise direction withdrawing the hooks 26 from the openings 30.

Referring now to Figure 4 there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention in which the latch levers 60 and 62 are as before described, but the latch release lever, herein designated 12a, is provided with a tooth adapted to be received within a recess 82. Downward pressure applied to the lever 12a initially rocks the latch member 60 in a clockwise direction, the tooth 80 and recess 82 cooperating in the manner of gear teeth and tooth spaces during such movement of the latch member 60. Movement of the latch member 50 is arrested by engagement between the latch member and the side of the slot 68 and continued application of pressure to the lever 12a thereupon results in rocking movement of the latch member 62 to its release position.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved cargo brace structure in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A cargo brace adapted to extend between a pair of spaced apart walls having aligned openings therein, said brace comprising a bar having a supporting head. at one end thereof, said head comprising a shank and upwardly extending hook means located beyond the end of said bar and movable into and out of a selected opening in a wall, a pivot member on said bar engaging said shank intermediate the ends thereof to support said head for swinging movement about an axis transverse to said bar, abutment means on said bar overlying said shank intermediate said pivot member and the end of said bar to limit upward movement of said head, pivot means on said bar located above said head and intermediate said pivot member and the end of said bar, a pair of latch members carried by said pivot means for swinging toward and away from said shank, abutments on said latch members movable into positions beneath said shank to prevent down ward swinging of said head, an actuating lever pivoted to one of said latch members, abutment means on said actuating lever and the other of said latch members operable to swing said other latch member to release position upon movw ment of said lever relative to said one latch member, said lever being disposed on said one latch member so that pressure applied thereto tends to swing said one latch member to release position.

2. A cargo brace as defined in claim 1 in which the abutment means on said lever and said other latch member are constructed to be equivalent to gears connecting said lever and member for swinging on their respective xes.

3. A cargo brace as defined in claim 2 com prising abutment means limiting outward movement of said latch members.

4. A cargo brace adapted to extend between a pair of spaced apart walls having aligned openings therein, said brace comprising a bar having a supporting head at one end thereof, said head comprising a shank and upwardly extending hook means located beyond the end of said bar and movable into and out of a selected opening in a wall, a pivot member on said bar engaging said shankintermediate the ends thereof to support said head for swinging movement about an axis transverse to said bar, abutment means on said bar overlying said shank intermediate said pivot member and the end of said bar to limit upward movement of said head, pivot means on said bar located above said head and intermediate said pivot member and the end of said bar, a pair of latch members carried by said pivot means for swinging toward and away from said shank, abutments on said latch members movable into positions beneath said shank to prevent downward swinging of said head, said pivot means comprising a single pivot about which both of said latch members are mounted for swinging movement, an actuating lever pivoted to one of said latch members having a free end extending over said single pivot, rotary driving connections between said lever and said other latch member eifective to swing said other latch member outwardly upon downward movement of said lever.

5. A cargo brace adapted to extend between a pair of spaced apart walls having aligned openings therein, said brace comprising a bar having a supporting head at one end thereof, said head comprising a shank and upwardly extending hook means located beyond the end of said bar and movable into and out of a selected opening in a wall, a pivot member on said bar engaging 6 said shank intermediate the ends thereof to sup port said head for swinging movement about an axis transverse to said bar, abutment means on said bar overlying said shank intermediate said pivot member and the end of said bar to limit upward movement of said head, pivot means on said bar located above said head and intermediate said pivot member and the end of said bar, a pair of latch members carried by said pivot means for swinging toward and away from said shank, abutments on said latch members movable into positions beneath said shank to prevent downward swinging of said head, said pivot means comprising a single pivot about which both of said latch members are mounted for swinging movement, an actuating lever pivoted to one of said latch members having a free end extending over said single pivot, rotary driving connections between said lever and said other latch member eifective to swing said other latch member outwardly upon downward movement of said lever, an abutment limiting outward movement of said other latch member whereby pressure applied to said lever is effective after engagement between said abutment and said other latch member to swing said one latch member outwardly.

GERALD D. STOUGH.

No references cited. 

